“Grangeland, you’ve got them. We’re going to clear the warehouse. Your threat area is from here to the front door.”

“Copy.”

“Harv, on my six.”

They moved back to the front door and began traversing the perimeter wall. Several dozen pallets of boxes were stacked three high along the wall, too tightly placed for anyone to hide among. A battery powered forklift occupied the southwest corner, currently plugged in for a recharge. The offices were straight ahead in the southeast corner and occupied an area roughly ten feet wide by forty feet long. All the windows were dark, except upstairs. A narrow staircase served the second floor.

Nathan kept his laser painted on balcony man’s prone form as they approached, but he detected no movement. Unconscious or dead.

They both heard it again, a horrible mewling sound.

“That could be Montez. Cover me.”

Harv hugged the wall and kept his gun pointed at the office windows.

He kept his Sig trained at the dark figure as he approached and knelt down. No pulse. Not surprising, his white tank top wasn’t white any more. He looked at Harv and shook his head. Not Montez. They traversed to the corner of the offices.

In a whisper, he said, “I’ll duck under these windows and come up on the other side of the door.”

“Should we try a verbal command first?” Harv asked.

“Couldn’t hurt at this point.”

He spoke forcefully. “If anyone’s in there, come out now!” Nothing. He repeated the command in Spanish. No response.

“I’ll take the left.” Nathan ducked below the window and positioned himself in front of the door. He reared back and kicked. The door flew open and banged against the interior wall.

Harv followed him in and swept the right side, his red laser visible in the dust. “Clear.”

“Light switch?” Nathan asked.

The room snapped to life with fluorescent light, revealing an old metal desk, some filing cabinets, and several rows of stacked boxes. An interior door led to an adjoining office on their left. They both held perfectly still and listened for any movement on the other side of the door. Nothing. But the muffled cries they’d heard earlier were louder.

He kicked the door and rushed into the adjoining office.

Chapter 29

Chapter  29

What Nathan saw tore at his heart.